


A Leap out of Time

by dkwilliams



Category: Quantum Leap
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 07:40:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5039746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dkwilliams/pseuds/dkwilliams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's newest leap gives him what he's always wanted for Christmas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Leap out of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written and posted in 2006

Sam Beckett felt the familiar tingle moving through his body and closed his eyes in relief. It had been a hell of a Leap, and he couldn't get out of here fast enough. He felt as if he had gone a couple rounds in the ring again and hoped that the next Leap would be easier. Not that he really thought there was a chance of that happening. As that mysterious bartender had warned him, the Leaps had gotten harder. He wondered if Leapers ever got a vacation - or at least a sick day. He could sure use one. Sam felt himself settle into the body of his new host and, with a sigh, opened his eyes and looked around to get a quick first impression of his surroundings. Sometimes, all he got was that moment of assessment before he was thrown into the middle of a situation, and he'd learned to make the most of it.  
  
He looked around the room cautiously, taking in the Christmas tree standing by the window and the fire crackling merrily in the fireplace. Okay, it was Christmas time and it was cold - he could see snow outside the window. There was also a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket by the fireplace, a tray of finger foods set on a low table to the side, and the lights were turned down low, so obviously he was expecting company.  
  
His heart sank at that. Never one to enjoy meaningless sex, he'd found it increasingly more difficult to deal with that aspect of his Leaps. It didn’t help that the one he really wanted was forever beyond his reach, both because of his premature use of the Quantum Accelerator and his own interference with history. Not that they'd ever talked about that change - lately things had been too hectic during Leaps for more than an exchange of information - but he'd noticed that Al's conversation no longer included those risqué references to his varied sexual encounters. Understandable, really, since Sam had fixed things so that Al and Beth stayed together. Oddly enough, Sam found that he missed the very things that had embarrassed him so much in the past. Hell, he just missed spending time with Al.  
  
A familiar sound made him turn around with a smile. There he was, Al Calavicci, standing in the Door and frowning down at his handlink as he punched its buttons. Sam took advantage of the few seconds that Al was occupied to greedily absorb the way he looked today. It was obviously night at the Project and Al had been summoned quickly because he hadn't even had a chance to change out of his nightwear. Sam couldn't help grinning at the sight of electric blue silk pajamas offset by a silver-colored robe tastefully striped with blue and black and the matching slippers.  
  
"Feeling a little subdued tonight, are we, Al?" he teased.  
  
"Very funny, Sam," Al said, his eyes still on the handset. "We're having a little trouble getting information on this one. So far, we've figured out that it's Christmas Eve, 1985, and you're at a little resort in Colorado." He glanced around the room and grinned lewdly. "And I think we can both guess what's goin' on here. Nice setup, Sam." He glanced over at his friend for the first time; his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Sam!"  
  
Sam looked down at his body - or rather, his host's body - in concern. He was wearing nightwear as well, a more subdued shade of blue silk with a black robe and slippers. There didn't appear to be anything wrong with either his clothes or his body. "What?"  
  
"You're - you!"  
  
"What?" Sam crossed to a mirror hanging on the wall and stared at his own reflection. It was the same face he'd stared at in Al's bar, however long ago that was. "I've Leaped into myself again?"  
  
Al's eyes were locked on him still as he slowly shook his head. "Can't be. You look like you do now, not like you looked in '85. And you weren't even *in* Colorado at Christmas in '85."  
  
Sam nodded slowly, vaguely remembering that he'd spent Christmas with Al and his third? fourth? wife. Al had been worried about him ever since Donna had left him standing at the altar…He hastily derailed that memory and looked at his reflection again. Yes, this was definitely an older Sam Beckett - he hadn't had that white streak before he started Leaping. Then he saw something else in the mirror and he caught his breath as he swung around to stare at Al.  
  
"Al - you - I saw you in the mirror!"  
  
"That's impossible. I'm a hologram; I don't *have* a reflection." Al looked back down at the handlink and frowned as he punched a few buttons. "There's something hinky going on here, Sam. I can't get anything from Ziggy." He punched another button as he snapped, "And the damn Door won't open. What in hell is going on?"  
  
Sam ignored Al's irritated fuming as he slowly crossed the room. He tentatively stretched his hand toward Al, expecting to see it pass right through the hologram - and touched solid matter.  
  
Al's head jerked up at his touch, his eyes widening. "Sam?"  
  
"You're real," Sam breathed. "We're both real."  
  
Al reached out as well, his breath catching as his fingers also touched flesh. He looked up, his eyes meeting Sam's with identical expressions of surprise and confusion.  
  
"Oh, boy," Al said.  
  
Sam didn't bother questioning what was happening. With a groan, he pulled Al into his arms and held him tight, the way he'd wanted to do for so very long.  
  
Al wrapped his arms tightly around Sam's waist and buried his face against Sam's shoulder. He could feel Sam's body shaking and murmured soothingly, "It's all right, Sam. I'm here. Everything's OK."  
  
Sam nodded, tightening his hold on Al. He didn't want to let go, afraid that he would Leap out. And it felt so *good* to hold Al like this, to feel his warmth and smell the familiar scents of cigar and cologne mixed together. He committed it all to memory, knowing that this was one he'd never lose no matter how many Leaps he made.  
  
"Um, Sam, as nice as this is, you're squishing me a bit," Al teased.  
  
"Sorry, Al," Sam murmured, pulling back with an apologetic half-smile.  
  
Al sighed as he caught sight of the look on Sam's face, and he reeled him back in for another hug. "It's all right, Sam. Just watch where you're crying, okay? This is a very expensive suit."  
  
Sam relaxed at the feel of his best friend's arms closed protectively around him and smiled. "You mean robe."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"An expensive *robe*, not suit."  
  
"Sam, what are you talking about - " Al stopped and pushed away as he realized what Sam had said, and looked down at his clothes in astonishment. "What in hell - this *isn't* what I was wearing when I stepped into the IC." He looked down at his handlink, saying, "I don't know what's going on here - must be some sort of anomaly. That, or someone's been messing around with the program." He looked up at the ceiling and yelled, "Gooshie! This isn't funny!"  
  
"Al - "  
  
"Just a minute, Sam." He smacked the link again and it squawked at him but the display didn't change. "Damn it, Ziggy! Where are you when we need you?"  
  
  
  
An odd suspicion was forming in Sam's head. He looked around the room: no doors. He crossed to the window and looked out but, other than a vague impression of snow outside, he couldn't see anything. "Al."  
  
Al looked up from the handlink and snapped, "What?"  
  
"Not you, Al. The other Al. He did this."  
  
Al rolled his eyes. "Right, Sam. A bartender in Pennsylvania somehow fixed it so that you and I are together in a little cabin in Colorado for Christmas…" His voice trailed off as he realized what he was saying. "Oh, no. You're not going to start that crap about that guy being You-Know-Who again!"  
  
Sam nodded vigorously. "Think about it, Al. Who else could pull something like this off?"  
  
"Lots of people!" Al said. "That evil Leaper, for example."  
  
Sam gave Al a Look. "Come on, Al. Why would they want to give me my greatest wish for Christmas?" He flushed as he realized what he'd said and turned away from Al, towards the fireplace, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his robe.  
  
"Sam?" He could feel Al move up closer, behind him. "Your greatest wish, Sam?" Sam nodded silently. "What, you always wanted to spend Christmas in Colorado?" Sam shook his head, still not speaking. "Then - " Al swallowed and said, "You wanted to spend Christmas with me?" Sam nodded again. "Aw, Sammy."  
  
"I'm sorry, Al," Sam said, his voice muffled as he avoided looking at his best friend. Probably his *former* best friend after this. "I wouldn't have said anything. I know that you and Beth are together - "  
  
"What makes you think that?" Al asked, frowning.  
  
"Because I went back and fixed things," Sam said quietly. "Asked her to wait for you."  
  
"Oh, Sam," Al said, sighed. He reached out to touch Sam's shoulder as he said, "Yeah, she waited this time but it didn't work out for us. After seven years apart, we'd both changed too much. We stuck it out for another ten years, had two terrific kids, but then Bethie met someone… It was an amicable divorce and we're still friends. Besides, *I'd* met someone, too."  
  
Sam nodded, feeling his throat tighten. Damn, he never *could* catch Al between wives. Not that Al would be interested. "Your second wife…I can't remember her name."  
  
Al shook his head. "Only have one ex-wife this time around, for which my bank account thanks you. Nah, this was someone else. Someone special. Real genius type, degrees and awards out the ass. He has this crazy idea about traveling in time, only I don't think it's all that crazy." He squeezed Sam's shoulder. "He's also funny, and sexy as hell."  
  
Sam turned, his eyes wide. "Al?" he breathed, scarcely able to believe. He met Al's eyes, and the warm affection he saw there made his breath catch. He reached out for Al again, their mouths meeting as they wrapped their arms around each other again. Sam moaned at the feel of Al's lips on his, barely brushing over his own lips at first and then diving in for a kiss so intense that Sam could feel his toes curling. In fact, his whole body was tingling all over.  
  
*No, not _now_*, he thought and clutched at Al even tighter, as if that would keep him from Leaping.  
  
Al broke the kiss, chuckling a little. "I love you, too, Sammy, but let a guy breath, will ya?"  
  
Sam blinked, stunned by the ready admission of love. "I thought - - it felt like I was about to Leap."  
  
Al smiled but shook his head. "You weren't, Sam. I promise. Although that's gotta be the nicest thing anyone's ever said about my kissing, comparing it to a Quantum Accelerator."  
  
Sam couldn't help smiling. "Maybe we should try that again, just to verify the data."  
  
"If you say so, Dr. Beckett." They kissed again, and this time Sam concentrated on taking away *Al's* breath. He grinned triumphantly as Al sagged weakly against him.  
  
"Wow," Al breathed. "I think I need to sit down after that."  
  
"Well, we've got a beautiful fire to sit by, and a bottle of champagne," Sam pointed out. "Seems a shame to waste them."  
  
"You said it." With a last quick kiss, Al released Sam and turned to pick up the champagne bottle. Sam turned to the fire to tend it and frowned as he realized there were two stockings hanging from the mantle; odd - he hadn't noticed them before now. As he read the names on them, his eyes widened again and his hands shook slightly as he took them down.  
  
"Here you go," Al said, holding out a glass of champagne. He saw the stunned look on Sam's face as he stared down at the stockings in his hand. "Whatcha got there, Sammy?"  
  
"Stockings," Sam said, his voice coming out in a croak. He cleared his throat. "With our names on them."  
  
Al's eyes widened and he set down the glasses on the hearth so that he could take his stocking. He looked up at Sam, catching the look on Sam's face. "It's a coincidence, that's all."  
  
"A coincidence?" Sam demanded. "Us - here. This place. These stockings with *our* names on them?"  
  
"Okay, okay," Al conceded. "So it's more than coincidence. But why would He go to all this trouble? I mean, last time I checked, He was supposed to be against this sorta thing," he said, gesturing back and forth between the two of them.  
  
"I don't think he is," Sam said softly. Then his eyes lit up just like a little boy's. "Let's see what's in them."  
  
They sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace, stockings in each of their laps, and each pulled out the first item in them. Al realized he was holding a large tube of sexual lubricant and a box of condoms in his hands and grinned. "Now *that's* my idea of an All-Knowing Deity. Not to mention practical. Guess it means we have His blessing at least. Whatcha got, Sam?"  
  
Sam wordlessly turned the picture frame he was holding around so that Al could see it. It was a picture of the two of them, as they would have looked in 1985, standing in front of the Christmas tree with their arms around each other as they smiled into the camera. A label at the bottom of the frame said "Christmas, 1985".  
  
"Wow," Al said, taking the picture into his hands. "Talk about changing history, huh? Guess we really made this happen, then."  
  
"Yeah," Sam said softly. "I guess we did."  
  
Al looked over at his friend, and the love in Sam's eyes was so deep that it brought a lump to Al's throat. He swallowed hard and blinked away the moisture in his eyes, turning his attention back to the stockings. "What else is in here? Feels like a rock - hey, maybe it's a lump of coal."  
  
Sam grinned as he reached into his own stocking. "Why, Al Calavicci, were you naughty this year?"  
  
Al looked over at him and waggled his eyebrows. "Some call it naughty, some call it nice. Play your cards right and I'll show you."  
  
Sam laughed and then pulled out a small box from the toe of his stocking. His breath caught at the sight of it - there was no mistaking what kind of box this was. With shaking hands, he opened it and stared down at the gold band inside, then looked over at Al.  
  
Al had a similar box in one hand and a ring in the other, and he read the inscription aloud. " 'Al & Sam - Past, Present, Future'." He looked over at Sam, and Sam looked inside his ring to find the same inscription. He looked back at Al.  
  
"You okay with this?" he asked quietly.  
  
Al looked at the ring for a minute. "Yeah," he said finally. "It seems…right, not even taking into account the fact that I'm nuts about you. Besides, I have a feeling the Big Guy's not going to take no for an answer." He grinned . "Figures he'd have a thing against us 'living in sin'." He put the ring back in the box and held it out to Sam. "Put it on me, Sam."  
  
Sam took the box with hands that were surprisingly steady and removed the ring. Carefully, he slid it onto Al's ring finger. It fit perfectly. Wordlessly, he held out his own box and then his left hand. Al took out the ring and grasped Sam's hand. He kissed the base of the finger first, then slid the ring into place.  
  
"Well, Mrs. Calavicci, is this where I get to ravish the bride?" Al said, leering.  
  
Sam grinned, "I thought it was *kiss*, although that would explain why you got married so many times - Mrs. Beckett."  
  
"Can I help it if I'm a sucker for honeymoons?" He waggled his eyebrows at Sam. "Speaking of which, technically this is our wedding night."  
  
Sam fell back on the rug, pulling Al down on top of him. "Be gentle with me."  
  
Al snorted and would have said something but Sam pulled his head down for an intense kiss that made Al forget everything else.  
  
*************  
  
Al lay on his back on the rug, staring up at the ceiling. Sam was sleeping soundly still, his head pillowed on Al's chest and his arms wrapped tightly around Al's body as if he was afraid Al wouldn't be there in the morning. *Perhaps he was afraid of just that,* Al thought with a sigh.  
  
He turned his head to press a kiss against his lover's shaggy hair as he looked down at their entangled bodies. Who'd have ever thought that he, Albert Calavicci, ladies' man extraordinaire, would fall head-over-heels for a tall, skinny guy who could think circles around just about everyone else on the planet? And fall he had - hard. Just the sight of a pale shoulder that had escaped from the covers and was now gleaming in the firelight was enough to stir his libido in a way he hadn't felt since he was a randy young teenager.  
  
*Beautiful*, he thought to himself, not even worrying about the sappy smile on his face. *I could get used to waking up like this*  
  
He turned his head towards the fireplace and caught sight of the framed picture. Careful not to disturb Sam, he reached out to pick it up and look at it again. There was no doubt this was the same tree as the one they were lying under, and now he could see gold gleaming on their joined hands as they smiled out at him. The love in Sam's eyes was so intense that he felt tears gather in his own.  
  
He set down the picture and glanced up at the ceiling. "God," he said softly, "You know we haven't been on speaking terms for awhile, but Sam thinks You're behind all this, and I gotta say that his instincts are usually good. And maybe part of the reason for all of this was to bring the two of us together. I gotta admit that I kinda like that idea.  
  
"So, forgive me if I'm outta line here, but I gotta ask You a favor. I know that *You* know Sam's a good man -- the best. So if You still need him, I guess I gotta accept that. But - if it's possible - could You let him come home?"  
  
Sam stirred in his arms, blinked open his eyes, and smiled up at him. "Hey."  
  
"Hey, yourself," Al said, kissing him tenderly.  
  
Sam yawned and snuggled closer. "Thought I heard you talking to someone," he murmured.  
  
"Just myself," Al said softly. He brushed the hair back from Sam's face. "How you doing, kid?"  
  
Sam's smile widened. "Great." He rolled on top of Al and began nuzzling his neck. "In fact, I'm thinking that it's time for another round."  
  
Al groaned as Sam's mouth moved down to his chest. "You're gonna kill me, Sam."  
  
"All part of my wicked plan. You do still have me listed as the beneficiary on your life insurance, don't you?"  
  
Sam's mouth moved lower and Al moaned. "I'm changing it tomorrow. *If* I survive the night." He gasped as Sam's took him completely into his mouth, his hands involuntarily reaching down to grasp his lover's head. "Geez, Sam, where'd you learn to do that?"  
  
Sam looked up, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Natural ability."  
  
"Natural ability my ass…aah!" He arched under Sam's skillful ministrations, becoming as rock hard as if he'd never come that night.  
  
"Speaking of which," Sam said. He released the cock he'd been relishing, ignoring Al's near-whimper, and moved up to straddle his lover's thighs. Deftly, he rolled a condom down Al's erection, applied a layer of lubricant, and then shifted forward. Still lubricated and relaxed from their earlier round, he easily slid down onto his lover's cock. Al moaned at the feeling of being enclosed inside his lover's body again and, needing to feel some kind of movement, blindly reached for Sam's hips. Sam leaned down to briefly kiss him, then sat back up and began the erotic dance of thrust and retreat.  
  
Overwhelmed by the sensations bombarding him, Al could do little more than hold onto his lover's hips and watch him. Sam's body gleamed with sweat in the firelight, his muscles taut with need and pleasure. Al thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life and, so caught up was he in watching Sam reach for his release that his own caught him by surprise. As the overwhelming need to come hit him, he grabbed his lover's hips and pulled him down, hard. Sam's gasp of pleasure echoed his own, both of them too overcome by the force of their shared climax to do more than whisper each other's names before collapsing in a sweaty tangle.  
  
"The hell with the insurance," Al said hoarsely, wrapping his arms tightly around his lover, his husband. "After that performance, you deserve to get it."  
  
Sam chuckled sleepily and settled along Al's body for another nap.  
  
******************  
  
They awoke in the morning - or what appeared to be morning - with the joint awareness that this brief sojourn was over. Silently, they cleaned up and dressed again in the discarded pajamas and robes, then stood wrapped in each other's arms for a long while, still silent.  
  
The silence was broken by a complaining sound from the handlink and Al sighed. "That's Ziggy," he said. Sam nodded, slowly releasing his hold on Al. "I expect you'll be Leaping out of here any minute now."  
  
"Yeah." Sam held onto Al's hand, his thumb running over the new gold band there. "Be good."  
  
Al shrugged, giving him a half-smile. "Can't be anything but, with you out bouncing all over the universe." He lifted Sam's hand and kissed his ring, his eyes locked on Sam's. "*You* be careful."  
  
Sam nodded. He felt the familiar tingle start running through his body, felt Al's hand become less and less substantial. "Keep the bed warm for me, Al," he said. "I'm coming home."  
  
Al nodded, smiling crookedly even though he was aware that tears were running down his cheeks. "Your mouth to God's ears," he said, watching as the blue light engulfed his lover and then disappeared, taking Sam with it. He looked up at the ceiling. "You hear that? He's coming home. If I have to burn up every one of Ziggy's circuits to do it, he's coming home."  
  
There was nothing but the silence of the Imaging Chamber around him. Dashing the tears away from his cheeks, he punched the key for the Door and strode through it, yelling orders even as he moved.  
  
"Ziggy! I want a lock on Dr. Beckett, and I want it ASAP. Don't just stand around, people - we've got a Leaper out there somewhere…"  
  
The End

* * *


End file.
